Olympian Faces Murder Charge

South African runner, Oscar Pistorius, is being held by police after his girlfriend was shot dead at his house in Pretoria. WSJ's Devon Maylie brings us up to date with the latest on the double amputee Olympic athlete. Photo: Getty Images

By

Devon Maylie in Pretoria, South Africa, and

Bruce Orwall and

Jeanne Whalen in London

Updated Feb. 14, 2013 7:16 p.m. ET

Double-amputee Olympic runner Oscar Pistorius is set to be charged with murdering his fashion-model girlfriend, officials said, in a case that has brought new scrutiny to an athlete who has both inspired and stirred controversy.

Mr. Pistorius, 26 years old, is due to appear at Pretoria's Magistrate Court on Friday for the charge of murder of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, an official there said. A police spokeswoman confirmed the Friday court appearance and said previous domestic complaints will be part of the case.

ENLARGE

Police enter the gated community in Pretoria where Reeva Steenkamp was found shot and killed at his home Thursday.
European Pressphoto Agency

Mr. Pistorius's alleged connection to the shooting opens a dark chapter in a life marked by unusual adversity. He had his lower legs removed before he could walk, but went on to become one of the fastest runners in the world at the 400-meter distance. He was the first double-amputee to compete against able-bodied athletes at the Olympics.

His racing at elite levels on artificial limbs earned him popularity among track fans and corporate sponsors—and the nickname "Blade Runner" for his J-shaped carbon-fiber prostheses. At the Olympics, he carried the flag for his country, South Africa.

Now his storybook career risks unraveling.

South Africa's Oscar Pistorius, here at the London 2012 Olympics, was involved in a deadly shooting at his home Thursday, police said. Oliver Morin/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images

Trailblazing Athlete's Career

Born without fibulas in both legs, South African sprinter Oscar Pistorius blazed a trail as a Paralympic athlete before taking part in the able-bodied Olympics in London last year. A look back at his eventful career. WSJ

Police said they arrived at Mr. Pistorius's Pretoria home early Thursday to find Ms. Steenkamp fatally shot. They found a 9mm pistol at the scene and are carrying out ballistic tests on the weapon. Police were responding to an emergency call from a neighbor who heard shouting at the home, said spokeswoman Lt. Col. Katlego Mogale.

Another police spokeswoman, Denise Beukes, said there had been previous incidents of a "domestic nature" at Mr. Pistorius's home. In September 2009, South African media widely reported that Mr. Pistorius was arrested after he had allegedly assaulted a woman. The reports said the charges were later dropped. A police spokeswoman said Thursday she couldn't confirm this or other reported incidents.

A spokeswoman for Ms. Steenkamp said the 30-year-old model died early Thursday. "She was the kindest, sweetest human being; an angel on earth who will be sorely missed," said Robyn David of Capacity Relations, on behalf of Ms. Steenkamp's family.

WSJ's Joshua Robinson looks at the long struggle the South African athlete faced in being able to compete with able-bodied runners at last summer's Olympics in London. Photo: Getty Images

The last message on Ms. Steenkamp's Twitter feed appeared late Wednesday evening, part of a conversation about a gathering that she said she would attend on Thursday.

The feed included a message from earlier in the day, sent to Ms. Steenkamp's more than 6,000 followers: "What do you have up your sleeve for your love tomorrow??? #getexcited #ValentinesDay."

A spokesman for Mr. Pistorius, Peet van Zyl, said he briefly spoke with Mr. Pistorius, who was organizing his legal team while held in a Pretoria jail.

Mr. Pistorius was born in Johannesburg in 1986 without fibulas in both legs. Eleven months later, his parents decided to follow medical advice and have his legs amputated below the knee. When he was 15, his mother died after an allergic reaction to antibiotics.

His disability didn't prevent him from competing in sports. He was an avid rugby player in high school, but an injury to both knees led him to sprinting in 2004.

Although he owned a gun, Mr. Pistorius wasn't known as violent person, said Mike Kendrick, the founder of Mineseeker Foundation, which works to remove land mines in Africa. He said Mr. Pistorius was helping the group develop low-cost prosthetics for children who lost their limbs to land mines.

"He was more inclined to talk about his pet spider monkey than about guns," Mr. Kendrick said.

Nick Symmonds, an American who finished fifth in the 800 meters in London, said, "If you ask anybody who knows Oscar and spent time with him, they'll say he's one of the most charming people you'll ever meet and one of the friendliest people you'll ever meet. That's what really blows my mind. If you know Oscar, he's just the nicest guy."

Others recall Mr. Pistorius as prone to temperamental behavior. "Everyone knows he had a temper. Everyone," said David Monti, publisher of Race Results Weekly, a trade publication.

He recalled one event in Sicily in 2010 in which there was miscommunication about who was to pick up Mr. Pistorius for an appearance as the guest of honor at a ceremony before the Giro di Castelbuono race. "He threatened to not hold up his end of the contract and I had to calm him down," said Mr. Monti, who added that Mr. Pistorius did make the appearance.

More

Mr. Pistorius became globally known during his exploits in previous Paralympics events. But he made history at the London Games.

His high-tech blades and drive to compete against able-bodied athletes had for years brought him fame, glory and controversy. In 2008, he had been banned from able-bodied competition by the International Association of Athletics Federation, but hired lawyers and waged a legal battle that got the ban overturned. He didn't qualify for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, however.

His participation in able-bodied events put him at the center of a protracted debate over whether his blades provided an advantage. Some scientists weighed in, arguing that his artificial limbs acted like springs that propelled him in races.

The spotlight that came with his running blades and high level of achievement won him endorsements from Nike Inc.,British Telecom PLC, Oakley sunglasses and Thierry Mugler fragrances.

Nike featured him in TV ads. One included a picture of Mr. Pistorius bursting from the starting blocks and the catch phrase: "I am the bullet in the chamber."

A Nike spokeswoman said the Beaverton, Ore.-based company "extends its deepest sympathy and condolences to all families concerned following this tragic incident." She declined further comment because "it's a police matter."

A spokesman for British Telecom in London said Mr. Pistorius is currently an "ambassador" for the brand, and has appeared in BT ads in the past. He declined to disclose financial details of the endorsement deal. "We are shocked by this terrible, tragic news. We await the outcome of the South African police investigation," he said.

A spokeswoman for Thierry Mugler in London said Mr. Pistorius appears in advertising for the brand's Amen fragrance. She declined to comment further.

A spokeswoman for Oakley, based in Foothill Ranch, Calif., said, "We are shocked to hear the news and our thoughts are with their families. Given that the matter is under investigation and out of respect for all involved, we will refrain from making any further comments at this time."

Mr. Pistorius was a fan favorite in London, generating excitement in the Olympic Stadium each time he stepped on the track. When he appeared for his first race in London, he heard someone shout from the stands "You sexy baby!"

A few weeks after the London Olympics, he competed in the Paralympics, where he again met controversy when he was beaten in the T44 200-meter finals by another double amputee, Brazil's Alan Oliveira, who caught Mr. Pistorius from behind in the home stretch. Immediately after the race, Mr. Pistorius complained bitterly that his rival's blades were too long, giving him an unfair advantage.

He later apologized for the timing of the outburst, but didn't back away from his contention that he was at a technical disadvantage.

Some Paralympic athletes quickly expressed shock at the news of Ms. Steenkamp's killing, and described Mr. Pistorius as a standard-bearer for disabled sport.

"I don't know what happened there but I'm shocked, I'm really shocked, because somehow he really carries the flag of the Paralympic Games and Paralympians," Eduard Novak, a Romanian para-cyclist who won a gold medal in the London games, said in a phone interview Thursday.

Mr. Novak, who has competed in three Paralympics, said Mr. Pistorius generated so much publicity and attention that, for the first time in London last year, "the Paralympic Games are the same" as the Olympic Games.

Natasha Baker, a 23-year old Paralympic dressage rider from Britain who won two gold medals in London, called the news "absolutely awful."

"He is a massive icon and role model within Paralympic sport," she said. Ms. Baker remembers catching a glimpse of him at the athletes' dining hall, where a friend of hers remarked, "Oh my gosh, there is Oscar Pistorius!"

—Patrick McGroarty in Johannesburg and Matthew Futterman, Sara Germano and Rachel Bachman in New York contributed to this article.

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